Origin and Fate of the Empire of Mali
Introduction
In its peak, the people of Mali occupied land as far west as the
Atlantic Ocean. They also traveled as far east as Gao, the capital of the
Songhai, as far south as the Niger bend, and as far north as the Sahara
desert. They built a great empire between 1240 and 1337 that underwent a
course of slow decline until the seventeenth century.
History
The empire of Mali originated from a small country known as Kangaba.
Its people where known as the Mandingo (they have also been called the
Malinke and the Mandinka). After the breakup of Ghana, the Sosso, who had
caused the breakup, were still in power. Apparently Sundiata, an heir to
the Mandingo throne raised an army and defeated the Sosso in the battle of
Kirina.
Afterward, Sundiata established the empire of Mali. He converted to
Islam for support of the Muslim peoples. When Mansa Musa came into power,
in the early 1300s, the empire reached its height. Mansa Musa traveled
through Cairo on his pilgrimage to Mecca. It is said that he gave away so
much gold that it dropped in value in Cairo for 12 years.
Afterward the empire slowly declined, until, in the 1600s it was no
more than it had been originally when it originated: the small kingdom of
Kangaba.
Government
The government of Mali was a dictatorship. The dictator, who had the
title of Mansa, was the sole secular and religious leader of his people,
though not he did not enjoy the same power as Egyptian Pharaohs did. The
base of government was located in the capital, known as Niani. It was once
written by a traveler that a person could travel safely without fear of
harm, and that the people of Mali hated injustice and the Mansa did not
tolerate injustice at all.
The military branch of government was constant. There was a standing
army of professional soldiers, so that Mali was ready for a battle without
having to raise an army every time.
Religion
The religion in Mali was divided between two groups. The merchants,
traders, and government officials, including the Mansa, were Islam, though,
apparently, they did not adhere to it very well. Women were allowed freedom
and even the Mansa still believed in the "spirit of the land." The basic
peasant farmer believed in a "spirit of the land" to whom he prayed so that
The Mongol and the Mali Empires differ in their rise with the use of certain methods towards conquering. Geographic locations play an enormous role in the rise of both these magnificent empires. In the Mali empire, Islam was prevalent unlike the Mongol Empire where everyone was allowed to practice their own religion. Another difference would be the methods by which they arose. Although warfare existed within the Mali empire, Mali arose by peaceful methods. However, the Mongol empire attacked states which were already established. If people ...
In the 1300s Mansa Musa, king of Mali took his holy pilgrimage to the city of Mecca as a devout muslim, traveling through scorching deserts and bustling cities, although there might be other reasons he took his religious Hajj. The pilgrimage of Mansa Musa traveled all across Northern Africa and Arabia, stopping in cities along the way where Mansa Musa gave out gold to all he saw. The journey from the Empire of Mali to the city of Mecca was not only a faithful religious journey to the holy city, but also to create a name for Mali as the wealthy and powerful empire it was.
They lived with a different lifestyle then other religions, always on the move, adjusting to climates, doing what it took to not just survive but also attempt conquering during the medieval times of Scandinavia. The present day countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark made up Scandinavia. The Norsemen first made a name for themselves around 750 for their bloody, violent raids in Europe. Norsemen and Northern men are other names for Vikings. The Vikings took advantage of their unique ways of survival and daily life techniques to new heights during the Viking Age. They were highly skilled builders; they built ships durable enough to take on the ocean. Vikings were the most intelligent navigators in their day, which eventually made them tremendous traders. The Vikings decided to quit their big armies of violence, stopped raiding and began farming and trading instead. Their last raid was England before deciding to give up their violent ways. When Scandinavians started practicing Christianity, some Vikings headed east to Russia, some moved to France, most headed to England’s coast, Ireland, or the islands above Scotland. The Norwegian Vikings were the first population in Europe to move west. “Stepping across the North Atlantic, Norse Colonists reached the Faeroe Islands by around AD 825, Iceland by around AD 875, and Greenland by around AD 895. Both Iceland and the Faeroe Islands were uninhabited at the time of the Norse colonization” (Gestsdottir and Price 130). The Vikings during the medieval period were a very powerful force. They got themselves out of the control of the Norwegian king, they were very good craftsman, and used many resources.
Sundiata developed into a great leader of Mali through hardships, religion, and core/tributary/periphery relationships of states. The djeli who transmitted this information to the translators, is also a manifestation of an institution important in Sundiata’s epic, because without djelis these stories would be lost forever. Sundiata learned about the formation, running and maintenance of African states through interactions with the communities he was introduced to.
The origin of the title “Viking” continues to be debated. Some believe it is from the Old Norse noun “...
The. Centuries of Greatness - The West African Kingdoms: 750-1900, Chelsea House Publishers, 1995. McKissack, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack. The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay - Life in Medieval Africa, Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1994. Bianchi, Robert.
Sarafino, Edward P. "Substance Use and Abuse." Health Psychology: Biopsychosocial Interactions. 7th ed. New York: Wiley, 2012. 182-214. Print.
There was also a Kingdom called Mali that broke off from the Ghana Empire. At this time they had embraced the religion of Islam and had been under the great rule of Mansa Musa. This empire had the job of protecting the caravans or shipments carrying the goods, so that they can trade. They helped towards the function of trade so that both the importer and exporter gained something. In document 3 it explains how their wealth was great because of their trade. The document also talks about the fact that they had exhibited the characteristics of an advanced divination like sufficient food to feed its people, a strong army equipped with advanced weapons and income derived from taxes. Even though the Mali Empire had wealth there was very little corruption if there was with the ruler. He did not go mad with power but he was generous. In document four it states they there was no person who did not receive a sum of gold from him.
The foreign exchange market is a worldwide decentralized over-the-counter financial market for the trading of currencies. It determines the relative values of different currencies. A local currency is a currency not backed by a national government, and intended to trade only in a small area. Currency is used as a medium of exchange in goods and services. It has vital role in the economy. Because devaluation of a local currency makes its goods relatively cheaper; it increases the capacity of exports. With the decrease in demand for local country’s goods and services, its local currency devaluates and reverse is the case if its volume of exports increases.
In their paper they developed several propositions. The first proposition shows that in the absence of forward markets, a change in the mean exchange rate affects trade flows and the balance of trade. An increase in exchange rate volatility impedes both exports and imports, and surplus or deficit of the balance of trade is reduced as well. In the second proposition they tried to prove that when forward market is incorporated in the model it affects differently to exports
Exchange rate refers to the price of a currency in relation to another. In the floating exchange rate these prices are determined by the foreign market which fluctuates occasionally. The floating exchange rates have a great impact on a country’s economy and this might trigger its stability or instability. There is an automatic adjustment in case a country has a larger payment deficit which leads to continuous currency outflow from the country. Floating exchange rate allows the government to determine the interest rates and this allows the economy to expand as the country will be charging interests depending on the currency price. Since the currency changes randomly, the exchange rates also vary from time to time and therefore it can lead to a point of economic instability (McBrewster ‘et al’, 2010).
The significance of exchange rates within the economy of any society cannot be over emphasized since it is a relevant price concept of any nation. Alterations in exchange rates can lead to massive reallocations of raw materials, resources as well as production between the tradable and non-tradable sectors of the economy of any Country. But seldom is the concept of the exchange rate truly depicted for what it truly is: A relative price, which like any other economic entity is responsive to the laws of supply and demand. When viewed from an approach of a price concept, the exchange rate, according to fundamental economic theories can then be evaluated and determined within an economic system, its behavior as well as its significance can then be understood by outlining and paying relevant attention to certain factors within the economic system that influence it.
The fall of Ghana left a power vacuum that in 1050, the Almoravids, Muslims of North Africa tried to fill, but were ultimately taken over by the rising Kingdom of Mali. The man, who laid the foundations for the Mali Empire, was Sundiata, who belonged to the Keita Clan of the Malinke people in the Kingdom of Kangaba. Sundiata had 12 royal brothers who were heirs to the throne, but Sumanguru, the ruler of the neighboring state of Kaniaga, overran the Kingdom of Kangaba. Sumanguru had every one of Sundiata’s brothers murdered, but spared Sundiata due to his sickly appearance. This was a huge mistake by Sumanguru, as Sundiata would grow strong and eventually assemble an army that would challenge him and Kaniaga. In 1235, Sundiata would have his revenge, defeating Sumanguru at the Battle of Kir...
The title "Viking" includes a wide range of Nordic people; Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians, who lived during a period of Scandinavian expansion from 800 to 1100 AD. This word originated from Old Norse “víkingr,” or “vik” which means bay or creek and is generally associated with Scandinavian words for bays and fjords. It also corresponds with the name Wick, which is a Norwegian region. The name “Viking” which can be translated as “man of the fjord” and was used to identify the larceners, who hid in the confined bays and coves. The Saxon word “wîk” and Old High German “wîch” are considered similar to the Norse word and they both mean home. Another option for Viking is from old Norwegian word “Vike” which means leave, move away. It was to describe the people leaving their homelands in order to plunder or trade. Viking was not always used to describe a person as it was used to describe a social phenomenon, when freemen were forced to seek a better life outside the country.
First off, we will start with how and why Scotland joined with the English to form the United Kingdom, and the Darien Venture and why it put Scotland in near-collapse and total economic devastation. Second, we will discuss why both sides agreed to the Acts of Union 1706-1707. Third, we will go over the English and Scottish perspectives of this Union, and finally, the modern controversy surrounding a sudden increase in a desire for independence from the English by the Scottish.